Toilet flush valve



May 18, 1954 L. ALLEN, JR

TOILET FLUSH VALVE Filed May 16, 1952 INVENTOR LL YD ALLENJJI'. BY

276'? 772m A 1 0mm ATTo an EYS.

Patented May 18,1954

UNITED, STATES rarest OFFICE.

TOILET FLUSH VALVE Lloyd Allen, Jr., San Bernardino, Calif.

, Application May 16, 1952, Serial No. 288,266

This invention relates to toilet flush valves. More particularly, the invention is an improved valve assembly capable of substitution for the conventional valve assembly now in use.

Flush tank valves of the type having a stem secured to a ball and working through a guide means on the overflow pipe tend, in time, toward improper seating of the ball. This is due to the fact that thestem and guides wear, causing lateral deviation of the ball in its movement toward the valve seat.

Important objects of the invention are, therefore, to provide a valve assembly that will result in proper seating of the ball in every instance; will be capable of substitution for assemblies already in use, withoutmodiiication or re-designing of existing tank fixtures; will operate in a manner to facilitate disengagement of the ball from its seat; will b inexpensive and durable; and will be capable of installation in minimum time and with maximum ease.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: j

Figure l is a top plan view, inwhich the tank is illustrated fragmentarily and in section; 1

Figure2 is a sectional view on line .2-.-,2 of

Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure d is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

A conventional flush tank has been shown, having a vertical front wall Ill, and a bottom wall l2 provided with a dependingly flanged opening I4. Sealing rings 16 are engaged against the flange of opening [4 by a nut IB threaded on the flush pip 26, said pipe being integral at its upper end with an overflow pipe support 22, engaging the lower end of the vertically positioned overflow pipe 24. A sealing washer 26 is engaged between the pipe 2!! and the edge of the opening it to prevent leakage.

Mounted upon the overflow pipe is a stem guide having a ring 28 at one end circumposed about the overflow pipe and secured thereto in selected positions of vertical adjustment by a set screw 29. A lateral arm is integral with the ring 28 and is bifurcated at its outer end, the fork arms 32 thereof having stem guide openings 34.

All this is conventional and does not per se form part of the invention. Usually, a stem, not

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) shown, is vertically reciprocable in openings 34. However, the invention permits removal of said stem, and installation of the improved valve assembly, with the conventional stem guide becomat their upper ends, the several extensions con verging upwardly and being made rigid, at their convergent ends, with an annular abutment 46 concentric with the bands 40.

Extended through the abutment is a bolt 46, th head of which is engaged against the lowermost fork arm 32. A wing nut 4-8 is then threaded on the bolt and engages against the abutment 44. In this way, the cage is forced against the bottom .wall l2 and is fixedly positioned in concentric relation to a valve seat 49 formed upon the flush pipe.

A ball 50 is of generally conventional shape, but has a flat bottom wall 52 formed with a large opening in which is engaged a weight 54, said,

weight having a circumferential groove 56 receiving the edge of the opening. An eye 58 is secured to the upper end of the ball and a chain 60 or similar flexible element is attached to the eye. The chain til, at its upper end, is connected to the outer end of an angular extension 62 of an operating arm 64 swingable in a vertical plane by operation of a handle 66 mounted on the wall [0. Arm 64 and its associated extension 62, and handle 66, are conventional parts of the tank assembly.

Figures 1 and 2 show that the outer end of the extension 62, and the eye 58, are out of vertical alignment. Therefore upward pull on the ball 50 is exerted through an inclined path, so as to facilitate movement of the ball 50 off its seat. Only slight pressure on the handle 66 need, therefore, be exerted, as distinguished from'conventional arrangements, wherein th ball moves off its seat vertically with said vertical movement being resisted by a suction set up at the valve seat.

It is to be noted that when the ball is lifted off its seat, it is free-floating within the cage, and Will be effectively stabilized while off the seat by the weight 54. As a result, when the ball is to return to its seat, it will be guided thereto by the natural flow of water through the flush pipe, the weight :being of prime importance in this respect, since it retains the ball in a stabilized condition during the return or downward'movement of the ball.

It is also an important characteristic of my construction that the entire assembly is specifically designed as one that can be substituted for the conventional type having a vertically reciprocable stem. One need only remove the old ball and stem; mount the cage with ball 50 inside it, betweeni-theiguide .and bottom wallzas discussed above; ,and attach the'chain to the extension 62. V

In this regard, the device is adapted to be mounted in any of various makes of tank .assemblies. than others. This is immateriaL:thowever because the distance between the abutment 44 and the bottom wall I2 need not bepre-set, as -long as the bolt 46 is sufiiciently long t-extend through both the guide and the abutment.

,0 It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above,...sincelit. maybe utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited' Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to" the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of .the .principles ofv operation and the means presently devised to carry out .said principles, itbeing considered: that the invention comprehendsany minor changes in construction that may be permitted Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a'fiush tank valve. assembly, the com bination, with ,a laterally projected .cage support member of. a flush tank, said memberhaving an opening,..of a, cage generally circular in crosssection and adapted to be circumposed about and extend .upwardly' from a valve seat provided. in;

the bottom wall of' the tank, said ,cg-ge. being formed open atflits lower. end for, positioning of the cage over the valve seat, and having a small annularabutment at its upper endaligned vertically with and spaced from said opening; a bolt.

extendingthrough 113118 opening and abutment and having its head engaged against said. supportmember; a nut threaded on the bolt and.

engagingthe abutment ,to force the lower end 7 of the .cageagainst the bottom wall of the tank;

a ball valve positioned within thecage. and

Some of these have guides higher, or lower;

adapted to' float upwardly and downwardly therein away from and onto said seat; a central weight at the lower end of the ball valve providing means for stabilizing the ball valve when said valve is off its seat; and means connecting the valve to a valve lift arm of the tank and arranged to exert upward and lateral pull on the ball when the ball is to be lifted off its seat.

2. In a flush tank valve assembly, the combination; with: a :laterally:v projected cage, support member of a flush tankysaid member having an opening, of a cage generally circular in crossextendgupwardly' from a valve seat provided in the bottom Wall of the tank, said cage being formedopen atrits lower end for positioning of the .cage over the valve seat, and having a small center opening at its upper end aligned vertically withandispaced from said support member opening; a bolt extending through the support membenand cage openings andirhaving itsheadengaged against said support member; a nut threaded on; the bolt. and-:engaging the. upper end of the cage to forcemthe lower end .of the cage against. .the .bottom'wall .of the. tank ;v a .ball valvepositioned within the. cage and adapted to float .upwardly..vand downwardly therein away from and onto saidseat a centralweight at the lowerend ofthe. ballivalvehprovidingmeans for stabilizing. the ballvalve when-said valve is ofi its seat; and means connectingthe valve to a valveliftarm of thetank, saidlast-named means including a flexible; element. attachedat. one end to the valve,,and attachedat-its other endtothe valve .liftarmata locationout of vertical alignmentiwithsaid oneend, for exerting: an upward pull ;upon. the.,valve..ithrough an inclined path, thus tocausetheinitial upward..m0vement of the valve off its .seat. .tobe directedlaterallyiof the seat. a

ReferencesCited. in the' file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 "Name Date 375,353 "Harvey Dec.' 27, 1887 1,429,304 7 'I'ilden Sept; 19, 1922 1 ,439,268 -'Shoppe "Dec. 19,- 1922 1,655,894 Davenport Jan; 10, 19 28 117 99,77 0 Wegner Apr. 7, 1931 2,328,701 Woodrum Sept. 7,?1943 

